NW

A Novel

By: Zadie Smith

Narrated by: Karen Bryson, Don Gilet

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Somewhere in Northwest London stands Caldwell housing estate, relic of 70s urban planning. Five identical blocks, deliberately named: Hobbes, Smith, Bentham, Locke, and Russell. If you grew up there, the plan was to get out and get on, to something bigger, better.

Thirty years later, ex-Caldwell kids Leah, Natalie, Felix, and Nathan have all made it out, with varying degrees of succes - whatever that means. Living only streets apart, they occupy separate worlds and navigate an atomized city where few wish to be their neighbor’s keeper. Then, one April afternoon, a stranger comes to Leah’s door seeking help, disturbing the peace, and forcing Leah out of her isolation....

From private houses to public parks, at work and at play, in this delicate, devastating novel of encounters, the main streets hide the back alleys, and taking the high road can sometimes lead to a dead end. Zadie Smith’s NW brilliantly depicts the modern urban zone - familiar to city dwellers everywhere - in a tragicomic novel as mercurial as the city itself.

A 2012 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
One of The New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of 2012
One of Time's Top 10 Fiction Books of 2012
One of The Wall Street Journal's Best 10 Fiction Books of 2012
A New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book of 2012

©2012 Zadie Smith (P)2012 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"This is a book in which you never know how things will come together or what will happen next... NW represents a deliberate undoing; an unpacking of Smith’s abundant narrative gifts to find a deeper truth, audacious and painful as that truth may be. The result is that rare thing, a book that is radical and passionate and real." (Anne Enright, The New York Times Book Review)

"A boldly Joycean appropriation, fortunately not so difficult of entry as its great model... Like Zadie Smith’s much-acclaimed predecessor White Teeth (2000), NW is an urban epic." (Joyce Carol Oates, The New York Review of Books)

"Endlessly fascinating... remarkable. ...The impression of Smith's casual brilliance is what constantly surprises, the way she tosses off insights about parenting and work that you've felt in some nebulous way but never been able to articulate." (Ron Charles, The Washington Post)

"Innovative and moving... This is a rich novel, as crammed with voices and layered with history and pop culture as is London itself. Smith’s flair for dialogue reaches a new height in NW, as she conveys the rhythms and diction of a variety of Londoners with wit and acuity. The story of what happens inside a person when she rises above the situation she was born into was of interest to Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, among countless other novelists. Zadie Smith has delivered her contribution to this literary tradition with aplomb." (Dallas Morning News)

complicated but worth it

this book is more about a place than the characters although the characters intetwraving is amazing

Perhaps Worth It?

If you could sum up NW in three words, what would they be?

Beautiful, interesting, disappointing

Would you recommend NW to your friends? Why or why not?

I doubt it, though it did inspire me to check out Zadie Smith's other works. I would recommend the author if not the book.

What about Karen Bryson’s performance did you like?

Everything. She (as well as the fellow who read for the Felix section) were absolutely perfect for the rhythm and tone of the novel.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It's all about the style!

Any additional comments?

So well written, but pretty much undone by unbelievable characters.

Not my favorite Zadie Smith, but not bad either

Where does NW rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Kind of low on the list--White Teeth and On Beauty were so amazing, so I had high expectations.

If you’ve listened to books by Zadie Smith before, how does this one compare?

Not as listenable--maybe because it's more postmodern.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Karen Bryson?

Yes

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

stellar performance!

What made the experience of listening to NW the most enjoyable?

the narrator really brought the characters to life

What does Karen Bryson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Karen Bryson turns the story into what feels like a live performance by someone who really understands and cares about each character. Her spoken use of the chapter numbers also adds to the story and my ability to see the words and events in their proper context.

Any additional comments?

I had a little trouble getting what was going on in the beginning as I am not familiar with all of the references to neighborhoods in London. It became clearer as we went along so think I will listen to the beginning again.

Typical Zadie Smith

Got off to a slow start but then the characters become real amd soon you can't wait to know more about theie lives. very readable. Excellent book.

Amazing shifts between voices and characters.

What made the experience of listening to NW the most enjoyable?

I listened to this book, then read it and then listened again in order to sort out the voices and points of view. The differences between the written and read versions are well worth experiencing. I have recommended this book and reading to all my friends. Nothing less than amazing. The way it is read gives you a preview of the inner lives, but combined with the visual text, it's astounding. I could listen to these voices forever! Amazing dialogue! You will love it and become so attached to some of the characters, you don't want it to stop.

Zadies does it again!

Would you consider the audio edition of NW to be better than the print version?

Yes, because of the nuances of voice.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Surprise.

Have you listened to any of Karen Bryson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not applicable, but I will look for her as a narrator in the future.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed aloud sometimes and felt sadness, too.

Any additional comments?

Zadies Smith's writing is very deep and needs in-depth reading/listening in order to really get what she's imparting, and I enjoy her efforts. I have read/listened to all of her books.

Smith Is Back on Her Game

Let me say first that I listened to the audio version of NW, and while it was masterfully read by Karen Bryson, it's the kind of book that probably is better read in print, due to the various stylistic devices that Smith employs. So I will definitely be reading it again.

Smith does an outstanding job of recreating the multicultural community of northwest London in all its grimness and glory. This is a district whose residents reflect African, Caribbean, Irish, Polish, Italian, Indian, Pakistani, Eastern European, you-name-it backgrounds, as well as a large number of mixed race and multi-ethnic persons. For most, life in NW has been hardscrabble, but two longtime friends, Leah and Keisha (who now calls herself Natalie), have somewhat broken out of the neighborhood. Leah, whose narrative opens the novel, has earned a degree in social work, and her decision has been to return to the neighborhood where she grew up. Long on empathy but perhaps a little short on common sense, Leah finds herself in the opening scene giving 30 pounds to Char, a former schoolmate and obvious junkie who knocks on her door with a story about her mother being taken to hospital. Leah's story reflects her confusion about who she is, where she belongs, what she wants out of life--and her marriage to Michel, a Jamaican immigrant. Natalie, on the other hand, has left the neighborhood and seems to have it all: a law degree, handsome husband, beautiful children, big house, trendy wardrobe. Yet she, too, finds that the ties to NW indeed do bind.

Although these two women are the heart of the novel, two young men, Nathan and Felix, also figure prominently and perhaps reflect the darker side of Leah's and Natalie's efforts to change themselves and the neighborhood. Nathan, once the bad boy every girl had a crush on, has gone over to the dark side, dealing drugs and pimping prostitutes. Felix, on the other hand, is cleaning up his act, due mainly to the love of a good woman that he hopes to marry. Their stories intersect with those of Leah and Natalie and with one another's in unexpected ways.

There are moments of humor in NW, but it is a more mature, more serious novel than Smith's first, White Teeth (which I also loved). Here, the consequences of the characters' choices are more severe, and the abiding influence of life in NW more bleakly inescapable. Overall, NW is a brilliant portrayal of life in London's multicultural community. Smith has given us an original and compelling story. I'm happy to see her back on top of her game.

Excellent

Fantastic novel— original structure and great characters. H w. Do. F t t f d

Captures life in a South Asian London neighborhood

What did you love best about NW?

Not a false note in the writing - on the contrary it is as life-giving as Tolstoy.

What was one of the most memorable moments of NW?

When one of the female protagonists tries out the idea of a menage a trois with two South Asian boys.

Have you listened to any of Karen Bryson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I enjoyed the reader's performance - the Audible readers are by and large wonderful.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh maybe, cry no.